At the End of All Things
by the-wanderer's-story
Summary: The survivors of flight 815 are finally being rescued. Now what? Will Jack stay true to his word, and will Kate trust Jack enough to wait for him? COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Lost...and that's probably a good thing.

Background info: I should probably say before I start that I don't think Kate has committed any serious crime. Even if she has, in this fic she is supposed to have been framed for something she didn't do. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like I said before, this is just what I think, and want, to be true. Here it goes...

sun rose slowly, enveloping the island in its seizing light. The survivors began to wake, one by one: preparing themselves for yet another day of fighting to stay alive. Claire was tending to baby Aaron, while Charlie stood close, keeping a watchful eye on the pair. A little ways down the beach Locke set about organizing a hunting party. The group was running out of food, and everyone was in agreement that it was time to hunt boar once again.

Kate left the group of eager hunters and wandered over to where Jack was tending an older man's swollen ankle.

"Hey," said Kate as she approached.

"Morning," replied Jack, not even needing to glance behind him to know that Kate was there.

"So, I was planning on going on the hunting expedition with Locke and some of the others today," Kate ventured. She didn't know why she always informed Jack of her plans, especially those in which there was a high risk of danger, but, she just felt somehow that she owed it to Jack to let him know where she was. He had done, and was still doing, so much for all of the flight 815 survivors that she felt that by at least letting him know where she was, she was easing his mind of at least one concern.

"What else is new," Jack stated flatly. Jack cared about Kate. He cared about everyone on the island. But, he and Kate had developed an obvious connection from there very first encounter.

"What is that supposed to mean," Kate asked, the tone of anger slowly rising in her voice.

"Oh, I don't know, you just always seem to be throwing yourself into the face of danger. Kate, you know I don't like the idea of you being in the jungle, even with Locke there. Ever since that day, with the pilot...I just...I want you to be okay. I need you here. I need someone to keep me sane. Someone who can automatically tell when I'm overworking my self and who will tell me to rest."

"So is that all I'm good for on this island Jack? Telling you when your burning yourself out?"

"C'mon, you know I didn't mean it like that. It's just...it seems like you keep signing up for these encounters with danger. Almost as if you want to...never mind."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Lost...and that's probably a good thing.

"Almost as if I what, Jack?." Realizing she wasn't going to get a response Kate turned to leave.

"BOAT!" yelled Hurley, a ways down the beach.

It was true, quickly approaching in the distance was a white object that could be nothing other than a rescue boat.

"YES! we're saved!" Echoed an ecstatic Charlie, who was now hugging an equally excited Claire in his joy.

Kate and Jack watched as all of the survivors, the people that had played a major part in their lives for the past few months, the people that had become family, rushed out into the water waving their arms frantically. The boat was no doubt headed their way, but they were all so overjoyed at this spectacular turn of events that they tried to flag it down anyways.

Shannon was crying tears of pure joy in Sayid's arms, while Michael was finally able to look Walt in the eyes and say "We're going home."

Kate watched as Sawyer ran into the water, hugging the first person he saw, which just so happened to be Jin. It didn't matter that the two weren't on the best of terms. All that mattered was that all of the survivors were finally going home.

Kate looked down at the sand and tried to burry her feet in it, as was her old habit. She couldn't believe this day had come. She couldn't deny that she wasn't at least happy for the others. She was overjoyed that they would all get to go home, back to their normal lives, back to life. However, she also couldn't deny that she wasn't jealous of them all. They got to go back to civilization, while she was put into jail for who knew how long.

Kate hadn't noticed Jack, standing only a few feet away. Jack hadn't run down to the water's edge with everyone else. He hadn't yelled in joy at their triumph over the island. In fact, Jack had stayed right where he was. At the first mention of a boat Jack's thoughts had immediately turned to Kate. He knew what this meant for her. Jack, also, had not seen this day coming. He had grown used to life on the island. Jack was use to his daily routine of helping and treating the sick. He was used to surviving on little food and water, and for a second it occurred to Jack that he didn't want that to change.

Jack looked over at Kate as she starred at the sand. He knew he had to say something to her before he lost his chance forever.

Kate looked up slowly as she felt Jack put his hand in hers. She saw the same fear in his eyes that she knew he could see in hers. Jack squeezed Kate's hand comfortingly.

"I've never been that great at good byes," Kate whispered, shifting her gaze back to the sand.

"Do you want this to be good bye Kate?"

"No Jack, of course not, but you know just as well as I do that as soon as those rescuers reach the shore they are going to cuff me and throw me in jail."

"It's going to be okay Kate."

"No Jack, it's not going to be okay. I don't understand why everyone is always trying to tell me that. My life will never be normal. I'm..." Kate was cut off by Jack.

"Kate...look at me," Jack lifted Kate's chin until her eyes we locked on his. "Kate, did you do anything wrong?"

"No, I've told you all this before. But they have perfect evidence against me there's no way that I..."

"Kate, did you do anything wrong?"

"No."

"Then this isn't good bye. I'll be seeing you again, you can trust me." Kate looked into Jack's eyes as he said this and she knew he was serious. But it was to much for her, she couldn't let him do this.

"Jack, I can't let you spend your life trying to get me out of jail. You deserve something better than me. You deserve your life, and a normal one at that."

"A couple months ago we crashed on this island. We didn't know each other, we didn't know who to trust, we didn't know how to survive for god's sake! Our days were filled with the challenges of finding food and water and our nights were spent trying to keep everyone safe from some unknown monster in the jungle. Basically our lives were like a living hell. And im not about to let the one good thing that happened to me be taken out of my life forever." Jack finished, out of breath, amazed at everything that had just come out of his mouth.

Kate couldn't help but smile at Jack.. Hearing him say that made her feel like, for the first time in her life, she mattered. If she were gone there would be someone who might actually miss her.

Kate saw the guards coming for her. Jack saw them too. He pulled Kate into a hug and just before the guards reached them he whispered "wait for me, I'm going to find you," in her ear.

Kate just nodded in response. She knew that he meant for her to stay wherever she was put. He didn't want her to runoff like she usually did. It was going to be hard for Kate: to give up her life on the run. To stay in one place, relying on one person's words. But for once Kate felt that she could do it, because that one person was Jack.

As the guards grabbed Kate and pulled her back towards the boat she looked back at Jack., standing there alone on the beach.

Jack watched as Kate was taken away. The last thing he saw was her forming the word "Jack" on her lips. Then she was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Lost...and that's probably a good thing.

"Wait for me, I'm going to find you." His words repeated themselves over and over in her head, as they had for the past few days. Kate tried to push all thoughts of Jack aside but, considering the circumstances, that was quite impossible.

Kate opened her eyes to find herself starring at the dull and empty walls of her cell. She kept telling herself to get used to the sight, this was all she would see for the rest of her life, this was her new home. But images of the island filled Kate's mind. Pristine sandy beaches, dazzling waterfalls, lush jungles, and...Jack.

"Who am I joking," Kate muttered to herself, "he's not coming. He's just like every other guy in your life. Every other guy who makes a promise and isn't afraid to break it." But, the more Kate told herself this, the more she didn't believe it. She knew perfectly well that Jack wasn't at all like any other man she had known. Jack was different, and when he made a promise she knew he would follow through with it.

It was just a matter of time before he found her, Kate thought. Just a matter of time...

And with those thoughts Kate drifted into a restless sleep.

the next morning

Kate awoke to the sound of clanking metal. Then, before she knew what had happened, She was starring into Jack's eyes.

Kate sat up quickly, throwing her arms around Jack in the process.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming, " Kate whispered.

"Well, you're a hard person to find I have to say. You know how many jails there are in this city?"

Kate just smiled at him. Then she suddenly remembered where she was.

"Wait, how exactly were you able to get in hear Jack?"

"Well, lets just say that I pulled a few strings and you're free to go."

Kate's eyes filled with tears. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Free? She never thought she would her those words made in reference to her.

"But, how...how did you?...never mind...I don't want to know...thank you"

"Your welcome Kate."

Kate looked at Jack. It finally occurred to her just how much she needed him. He had gone through so much just to get her free, no one had ever done anything like that for her before. None of the other survivors had come to visit her, or had even shown any attempts at trying. Her own family hadn't even shown up to say hello. They were probably wishing that she hadn't made it off the island alive. Yet, here, in front of her, was this one man. This one man that had made all of the difference in Kate's life for the past few months. He had entered her life as a complete stranger and had ended up healing her. He had taught her how to love.

With this last thought Kate leaned into Jack and kissed him more passionately than she had kissed anyone before.

Jack was surprised by this sudden movement, but he didn't pull away. Jack loved Kate, he'd felt it from the moment he'd met her. But then something occurred to Jack that made him end the kiss. He pulled away, knowing he had to ask Kate the question sometime.

Kate eyed Jack with a hurt look.

"I just need to know why you chose me Kate."

"What do you mean?" said Kate, confused.

"I mean, on the island I always thought that you really wanted to be with Sawyer. I was always jealous of how he made you laugh and how you seemed to enjoy being around him."

Kate was about to laugh at the thought of Jack being jealous of Sawyer, but then she realized form his look the he was serious.

"Jack, I thought I wanted to be with Sawyer too. In fact, I thought it was him the I was in love with. That all changed when the boat came. Yeah, Sawyer had been great on the island, but when it really mattered he wasn't there for me. When the boat came he was down rejoicing in the water with everyone else, and I don't blame him. But, it didn't even seem to cross his mind that rescue meant jail for me. It didn't even seem to occur to him that he may never see me again. At that moment I felt so alone, like no one cared about me at all. When it really mattered Sawyer wasn't there for me, no one was, except for you. You could have cared less that you were about to be saved form the island, all you cared about was comforting me: making sure that I was going to be all right. That was when I realized that it was you I really loved. I love you Jack."

By now Kate had tears covering her face. Jack wiped them away with his thumb.

"I love you too Kate," he said, pulling her into another kiss.

A/N: yes, yes I know it's short but I don't feel I can write any more without ruining the story. I mean, they're in love, what more needs to be said?


End file.
